Piper PA-28-235 accident near Manokotak, AK
On March 23, 2002, a Piper PA-28-235 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Manokotak, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 23, 2002
- Place
- Manokotak, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 58.939°N, 159.253°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020404X00463
Official records · ANC02FA025
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 23, 2002, about 1140 Alaska standard time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-28-235 airplane, N1220R, sustained substantial damage during a collision with snow-covered terrain, about 7.5 miles southwest of Manokotak, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Corporation of the Catholic Archbishop of Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The pilot was a Catholic priest who routinely flew to remote villages as part of his ministry duties. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the point of departure. A VFR flight plan was filed from Dillingham, Alaska, to Togiak, Alaska, and return to Dillingham. The flight originated at the Dillingham airport at 1033. At 0937, the pilot telephoned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) at Dillingham, Alaska, and spoke with a flight service station specialist at the in-flight 1 position. The pilot requested weather information for Togiak, and the terminal forecast for Dillingham. The specialist commented that he did not have any pilot reports of weather conditions for the area, and then provided weather data that included reports for Togiak of overcast skies at 2,200 feet, visibility at least 10 statute miles. The specialist commented that: "...there at Togiak that's certainly better than we are here, we've got about two miles visibility...and a ceil
Probable cause
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and subsequent collision with terrain during cruise flight. Factors in the accident were low ceilings, snow, and mountainous snow-covered terrain.
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Browse: Alaska · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
